My Way Home
by PCGirl
Summary: After the truth is found out about Tea's baby John thinks about all he's lost and is given a chance to make his way back home. Jolie. One Shot.


Disclaimer: Ya'll should know this by now, but just in case-all characters are property of ABC/Disney. I'm just using them and will put them back when they are done.

A/N: Just a one shot because I watched Tea's scenes on GH the other day and realized how much I miss our show. Enjoy! Until next time-someone better update something soon ;)-PCGirl.

* * *

John sat there looking at the screen of his phone—the picture of Natalie smiling while holding Liam at his baptism staring back at him. Today had been hard—having to watch Tea realize that the baby she'd been caring and loving for months wasn't hers ripped him apart. He wished he could go back—wished he could tell her it was a mistake and she could take that baby back to Llanview and continue their happy life.

But more so it had made him miss Liam even more. He knew better than anyone what it felt to suddenly realize a child you had loved before it was even born wasn't yours—but he'd been blessed to have a second chance, to find out that Liam was his. And now it seemed he'd thrown it all away again.

He started to close the phone and try and get some sleep when the picture disappeared and Blair's name popped up instead. He really didn't want to talk to her—have to hear her give her sympathies for Tea, but he sighed and answered it, "Hello, Blair."

"It's not Blair," said the soft voice on the other end and he actually pulled the phone back to see it did say Blair's name on it.

"Hey—hi," he said and started to smile at hearing her voice. "I—is everything ok? Why are you using Blair's phone?"

"Restraining order—if dad knew I was talking to you he'd probably send me to an abandoned island somewhere in the Pacific," she laughed. "Blair told me about Tea—and—do you still want to see Liam?"

He laughed slightly, "Of course I do. I want to see both of you, Natalie. I've missed you so much."

"Liam's missed you too," she said, taking herself out of the equation.

"How is he doing? Is he ok?" he said as he walked to the closet and grabbed his small bag and began packing.

"He's good—doing better now. When you first left—,"

"I didn't leave," he corrected.

Natalie sighed, "When everything first happened he was having trouble getting to sleep at night—kept crying for you," she said and left out how after she'd finally get him to sleep she would usually do the same. "I'm going to start the process to remove the restraining order, John."

John gave a half grin, "Thank you. I—I wish you'd had just let me talk face to face and we could have avoided all this."

"I was mad and you—and I still am, this doesn't change anything, John. I just can't keep you from Liam anymore. It's not right."

"Damn straight it's not right. When should the order be lifted? I'm coming home."

Natalie gave him a half laugh, "It'll probably take a few days. Is there a halfway point we can meet up at? I can bring Liam to you—maybe we can find a park somewhere for him to play while we talk."

"Yeah, I'd like that. I'll look it up and text it to you. How do I contact you?"

"On the way home I'll go and buy a disposable phone. That way I can give Blair her phone back. I'll call you in the morning."

"Sounds good. Give my boy a kiss for me, ok?"

"I will."

"Goodnight, Natalie. I love you."

"Goodnight," she said and hung up the phone.

* * *

John sat there on the park bench feeling the butterflies rumbling in his stomach. He'd made it here in record time—and wondered if this was a trick. Even though she'd called him this morning to verify everything he wondered if she wasn't going to show. Or if she did was she somehow going to bring up the restraining order they were breaking doing this and have him arrested on the spot.

She wouldn't have him arrested with Liam watching—would she? Hearing a car he looked over and smiled at seeing her pull in. He couldn't stop himself and rushed to the back door where Liam saw him and squealed. He fumbled with the straps before he was able to get him out of his seat and held him tightly, "God, I've missed you buddy," he whispered out in a choked sob.

Natalie got out of the car and watched through blurry eyes the scene before her, as Liam squirmed some until John let up on his hug, "He's missed you too, John."

"I've missed both of you," he said and finally looked at Natalie and realized she looked to be about four months pregnant. He was about to say something when Liam spotted the playground and pointed towards it. Putting him down they watched as their little boy ran over to it. "Four months?"

Natalie nodded, unable to find her voice.

John nodded also—it was a lot to take in, "Is everything ok?"

She shook her head this time as they made their way to a bench and sat down, "It's high risk—probably from the stress of everything."

"And you drove all the way here by yourself? Damn it, Natalie. You had Liam with you as well—something could have happened to all of you."

"I wanted you to see Liam."

"It's not worth your health—or life," he spoke quietly. "And this supposed mystery man?"

"We thought it'd be better if you thought I'd moved on."

"We?"

She shook her head, "I don't want to get into a fight with you. It's not healthy, remember?"

"Can I just say if I didn't like your father before I sure as hell don't now?"

"That's fair. This doesn't change anything John—you know I'm independent, I can raise two children by myself."

"I know you can—but that's not what I want. What I want is us to go back to the day this little one was conceived. Where we were in love and happy and nothing in the world mattered except us."

"You'll have to go back before that—before you cheated."

John didn't want to get her worked up—didn't want to put her or the baby in jeopardy, but felt he needed to set the record straight, "It was a kiss—and only a kiss, I promise. I was wrong to not go straight to London and tell you. By not it made it seem like more had happened—I get that. And I'm going to make it up to you from here on out."

"Why when I left did you go straight to Port Charles if it was just a kiss?"

"To beat the crap out of your uncle for telling you the way he did."

"And then you stayed," she said as she stood up and walked around. "We never even left Llanview John—but you went to Port Charles and never came back, except to see Tea those few times. Why if we meant so much to you would you not be in the same town at least?"

John sighed, he wasn't winning on keeping her calm, "Because I knew myself. Knew if I came back home—back to Llanview there was no way I could keep myself away from both of you. So I stayed away—probably a lot longer than I should have."

Looking at her he worried how much she was putting herself at risk, "Please, calm down Natalie, ok? I can't lose you—together or not my world is better with you in it."

Natalie sighed and looked over to see Liam still playing on the slides—completely oblivious to the argument they'd been having, "Ok. We probably should eat something—I'm sure he's getting hungry. I know this one is," she said as she laid a hand on her stomach.

"Sit for a few minutes then we'll go find something to eat. Afterwards we can head home."

"It's not over John—I'm not forgiving you that easily," she said as she finally sat and then darted her eyes at him.

John nodded, he knew the road they were going down would be hard—damn impossible at times with her condition, but if in the end it led to them being an intact family again he would do it. He would do anything to get back to the perfect place they had been in before everything blew apart.


End file.
